Mayor’s statement on #RedforEd

“If we want our children to have a good education, we have to pay for it. Teachers are not going to continue to work in Arizona if they can add $10,000, $20,000, or more to their salary by moving to a state next door. The state legislature must fix this, without taking funds from other critical programs.

The problem is not limited to schools. Many state programs are underfunded. Part of the problem is a ballot initiative that passed in 1992. That changed the Arizona Constitution to require a 2/3 vote of the state legislature to raise taxes, while a simple majority vote is all that’s needed to lower taxes. This has resulted in a lopsided system where tax cuts for special interests are doled out freely but tax increases, however modest, are almost impossible to implement.”